1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image reader for use therein, and more particularly, to an image reader for use in an image forming apparatus to minimize the size of a scanning portion, via an Auto Document Feeder (ADF) scanning area and a flatbed scanning area, and a method for checking the contamination of a guide film.
2. Related Art
Generally, an image reader is included as part of an image forming apparatus, such as, a printer, a facsimile machine, a photocopier and a multi-functional product, for reading an image of a document, via a flatbed scanning method, while moving an image reading sensor, and for reading the image of a document, via an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) scanning method, while transferring the document with the image reading sensor being fixed.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example image forming apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reader 10 for reading an image of documents D1 and D2; an image former 30 for forming an image on a printable medium such as paper (P) on the basis of information read from the image reader 10; and a paper feeding mechanism 40 provided on a lower part of the image former 30 to feed individual sheets of paper from a paper feeding cassette 50 into the image former 30 for image formation.
The image reader 10 includes an image reading table 11 having a platen glass 12 to accommodate different standard sized papers, and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 13 to automatically feed individual sheets of print media, such as document D1 and document D2, from different trays, to be read by the image reader 10. In addition, a housing is provided to house the image reader 10, the image former 30, the paper feeding mechanism 50, the paper feeding cassette 70 and related components (not shown) along with a control and display panel 20 for controlling operation and providing visual display of operation. Typically, the image reader 10 utilizes two scanning methods, that is, an ADF scanning method for supplying an image reading sensor 14 at a predetermined location and then reading an image from a document D1 while conveying the document D1, via an ADF 13, and a flatbed scanning method for fixing a document D2 on an image reading table 11 and then reading an image while moving an image reading sensor 14 in bi-directions (⇄).
As shown in FIG. 1, the image reader 10 also includes an ADF glass 15 provided in the ADF 13 for the ADF scanning, and a platen glass 15 provided on the image reading table 11 for the flat bed scanning. In addition, the image reader 10 further includes a guide member 16 located between the ADF glass 15 and the platen glass 12 for guiding to discharge the document D1 fed from the ADF 13 to a document discharging plate 17.
However, there are several problems associated with the arrangement shown in FIG. 1. First, the width H1 of the image reader 10 is increased and unnecessarily large, since the ADF scanning area A and the flatbed scanning area F are separated from each other.
In addition, there has been another problem in that the width H1 of the image reader 10 is not similar to or identical with a width H2 of a lower part of the image former 30. As a result, the product, i.e., image forming apparatus can be unstable since the image reader 10 can be much larger than the image former 30, or vice versa.
Further, there has been another problem in that, as the size of the image forming apparatus is increased, it is inconvenient to distribute and handle the product. That is, since the size of the image reader 10 is increased relative to the image former 30, the size of the package box for the product, i.e., the image forming apparatus, must also increase, and unnecessary space within the box can be formed. Thus, it is difficult to efficiently package the product, and the product is likely to be easily damaged against impact during distribution.